Darrin brings three decades of working experience in the private, non-profit, and public sectors
with an emphasis on customer service-oriented solutions and collaborative problem solving for
economic development.
Before joining Southeast Conference, Darrin was a sea kayak guide, whale watch naturalist,
outdoor retail manager and ran his own ecotourism company on the coast of Maine and
Maritime Canada specializing in voluntourism research expeditions. He was on the Board of
several non-profits including Chambers of Commerce, land trusts, and regional tourism
marketing organizations. While in graduate school studying forestry and recreation management
at the University of Maine, he was offered a position with the USDA Forest Service in Sitka as a
wilderness kayak ranger and permit administrator. After a few years, he took a Forest Service
promotion to be a special uses permit administrator in Juneau managing outfitter guide permits
and development projects like the proposed Angoon Airport. He then served in a joint position
with The Nature Conservancy in West Virginia helping create a restoration economy on former
coal mine sites. Darrin was then able to return to Juneau and eventually became the Forest
Service Alaska Region Lead Grants Management Specialist doing his best to reduce onerous
requirements like large cash matches and getting Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy
funds out to Southeast tribes and non-profits. After restructuring, Darrin became a Liaison
Specialist continuing to help implement SASS and other economic development projects in
Southeast Alaska.
He has a bachelors from College of the Atlantic and masters work in forestry and recreation
management from the University of Maine. He enjoys time in the wilds around Juneau especially
with his two sons who continue to grow thanks to the abundant rain.